HYDERABAD: The state government is set to integrate three critical safeguards — code audit, security audit, and cyber security audit — into the Bhu Bharati portal alongside the rollout of survey-based registrations, in a bid to prevent scams such as the recently identified stamp-duty fraud. This move also includes making the Land Parcel Map (LPM) mandatory even for booking registration slots.
The additional layers of audits are being integrated to ensure data integrity, system robustness, and protection against potential cyber threats.
Under the new framework, land parcels will be assigned an LPM number in place of the existing survey number system. In simple terms, the LPM number will function as a unique identifier incorporating geographical location and revenue record details. Over time, this system is expected to replace traditional survey numbers.
However, the Revenue department will continue to retain survey numbers in correlation with LPMs to address legacy records and meet legal requirements.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior official said, “Under the LPM system, the government will register the exact extent of actual land on the ground. In the previous system, registrations were carried out based on the extent mentioned in documents, and in some cases, the land did not exist at all. The proposed system is designed to eliminate such dubious claims.”
The official added that if a person claims ownership of three acres but the survey identifies only 2.5 acres, only the verified extent will be registered.
Cut-off date to be notified soon
“This system will purify erroneous records,” the official said, adding that the government will soon notify a cut-off date for the enforcement of the LPM framework.
To implement the LPM, the recently added private licensed surveyors will play a critical role, as they are set to conduct the initial surveys, which will then be scrutinised by mandal-level government surveyors, following a defined workflow involving the Survey, Revenue, and Registration departments.
Around 2.83 lakh land parcel khatas (accounts) are expected to be assigned LPM numbers under the proposed system. Registrations will henceforth be permitted strictly in accordance with the actual extent of land on the ground, a measure aimed at eliminating discrepancies and preventing dubious and fraudulent transactions.
Officials said the exercise is intended as a long-term solution to land-related disputes.
Additionally, TNIE had earlier reported that the previous Dharani portal — now renamed as Bhu Bharati — had not undergone any audit. This absence of oversight reportedly led to serious lapses due to vulnerabilities in the portal’s software source code.
Code auditing, one of the proposed features, involves a systematic and in-depth examination of software source code to identify security vulnerabilities, bugs, performance bottlenecks, and compliance issues.